U.S. Gaming Market Hit $4 Billion in May

The U.S. video game market generated $4.052 billion in consumer spending in May 2025, according to the latest report from Circana. This represents a 1% increase compared to the same month in 2024. The overall growth was largely driven by gains in game content, particularly from non-mobile subscriptions, which continued to expand for the third consecutive month.

U.S. Gaming Market Hit $4 Billion in May

Subscriptions Continue Upward Trend

Game content sales rose from $3.664 billion in May 2024 to $3.726 billion in May 2025, marking a 2% year-over-year increase. The primary contributor to this growth was subscription services outside of mobile platforms, which saw a 29% increase in spending. In total, U.S. consumers spent $600 million on game subscriptions during the month, reaching a new record. Industry analyst Mat Piscatella suggested that the growth in subscriptions may reflect broader economic trends, including rising prices, prompting consumers to seek more value through bundled game access.

Two major new releases, Elden Ring: Nightreign and DOOM: The Dark Ages, led dollar sales for the month. Other notable new games included F1 25, which debuted at number 15, and Capcom Fighting Collection 2, which entered the rankings at number 19. Star Wars: Battlefront II made a significant leap from 135th place in April to 12th in May. The game benefited from deep discounts, particularly on PC, where it ranked fifth in revenue. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter: Wilds held its position as the best-selling game of the year in the U.S., and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered moved up one spot in the rankings.

U.S. Gaming Market Hit $4 Billion in May

Hardware Sales Decline Ahead of Console Launches

Hardware sales declined 13% year-over-year in May, falling from $197 million in 2024 to $172 million in 2025. The decrease was attributed in part to the aging hardware cycle, with the original Nintendo Switch seeing a 44% drop in sales. The anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 had not yet occurred during the reporting period.

PlayStation 5 remained the leading hardware platform, with a 3% increase in sales year-over-year. The console led in both unit sales and dollar sales. In contrast, Xbox Series S and X consoles saw a 30% decline compared to the previous year.

Accessory Spending Contracts Slightly

Sales of video game accessories totaled $154 million in May, a 6% decline from the $165 million recorded in the same month last year. Despite the decrease, Sony’s DualSense controller continued to lead the market as the best-selling accessory.

Platform-Specific Software Trends

Sales trends across PlayStation and Xbox platforms showed considerable overlap in May. DOOM: The Dark Ages ranked among the top three Xbox titles despite being available through Game Pass, indicating continued strong interest in purchasing high-profile releases even when subscription access is available.

Nintendo’s charts showed limited movement, with Capcom Fighting Collection 2 performing relatively well following its release. The platform’s rankings remained mostly stable during the month.

Circana also reported premium PC game sales across major digital platforms, including Steam, Epic Games Store, and others. On PC, Helldivers 2 sold particularly well following updates that improved its post-launch performance. Sony had a strong month on PC overall, with three of its titles appearing among the top-ranking games.

U.S. Gaming Market Hit $4 Billion in May

Mobile Game Spending Remains Strong

Mobile game spending remained stable in May, with MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match, and Last War: Survival retaining their positions as the top-grossing titles. One notable change came from Evony, which entered the top ten mobile games with a 20% increase in revenue compared to the previous month, based on data from Sensor Tower.

The U.S. gaming market in May 2025 showed a modest but consistent growth pattern, largely supported by increased consumer spending on subscriptions and digital game content. While hardware and accessory categories experienced year-over-year declines, strong interest in new game releases and stable mobile performance contributed to an overall positive trajectory for the industry. Here is a list of all the games mentioned:

1. Elden Ring: Nightreign
2. DOOM: The Dark Ages
3. F1 25
4. Capcom Fighting Collection 2
5. Star Wars: Battlefront II
6. Monster Hunter: Wilds
7. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
8. Helldivers 2
9. MONOPOLY GO!
10. Royal Match
11. Last War: Survival
12. Evony